M4 or 154CM ???

It's coated M4 on that 551, nothing to worry about and nothing to maintain. M4 blows 154cm away. I have a lot of benchmade M4 knives and I love the stuff and have never had one rust even on the sharpened edge. Obviously if they get wet or something, dry them off well, that's about it.
 
As a knife enthusiast I would go for M4. I'm equipped to sharpen it and I will maintain it sufficiently.

I only have one M4 knife at the time but I would like to have more, mine is the Spyderco Gayle Bradley.
 
hardheart said:
For the two 154's, wear resistance at the same hardness is the same since the alloy content and carbide fraction is the same. CPM improves the response to heat treat, so it works at a higher hardness, which is an improvement. It also increases toughness, so there isn't a trade-off. CPM154 would be better than 154CM, but CPM-M4 is still better than that, outside of corrosion resistance. CPM-M4 works at an even higher hardness, with a little bit better toughness, and also has higher wear resistance.
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Thanks hardheart! Well stated and easily understood. I always appreciate such responses, especially from those with much more experienced than I.

I own, and now use pretty proficiently, the Wicked Edge sharpening system (diamondstones 100-1000 grit with some ceramic 'finishers'). I know from experience that I can put a keen edge on a CPM154 blade in the 58-60 range with this system. If I were to own a CPM-M4 blade with a hardness level that suits that steel (which takes a higher hardness than CPM154, as you suggest), would you forsee me having anymore difficulty in realizing the same keen edge sharpness with CPM-M4 that I now get with CPM154 with my WE system....? Or is it simply then a matter of perhaps more time spent at the bench to get the same results?

Thanks again!
 
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CPM154 is a significant improvement over 154CM !!
I no longer suggest 154CM as I've used both versions and the CPM is noticably better on all properties !
 
cpm-m4 hands down, just don't let it get dull, it can be maintained by regular stropping or honing with ceramic, I live in Alabama everything rusts here , because it's so humid, but check out tuff glide, I apply that to my cpm-m4 knives, ever so often and that stuff is the shiznit! No rust, no Patina no nothing, 154cm is a good steel and I love me some emersons don't get me wrong, but when i know I'm gonna hafta do alot of cutting , out comes the gayle bradley.
 
imbryan715 said:
well you said in your last thread you are new to nice pocket knives. with that being said. 154cm is better for a newer guy. i dont know what your sharpening skill's are but they need to be good to sharpen M4 to a razors edge. 154cm is very easy to sharpen and holds a decent edge. it's not important how long your knife holds an edge if you cant get that edge back. under normal use you may sharpen 154cm every other week and you might need to sharpen M4 one time a month. like you stated m4 is not stainless and that can be an issue depending on your lifestyle. being in fire/ems my knife is often covered in water and sweat. so a non stainless is a horrible choice for me. it can also be an issue if you hunt or fish or cut alot of things like food that are moist. that being said M4 steel is some very tuff steel and holds an edge for a very long time. it does require extra care and maintmence.
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You can get a good edge out of M4 if you have diamond stones and some kind of a guided angle sharpener.
 
mete said:
CPM154 is a significant improvement over 154CM !!
I no longer suggest 154CM as I've used both versions and the CPM is noticably better on all properties !
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Yes indeed. I'd pick CPM154 over M4 any day of the week.
 
For typical edc uses, I doubt you really need anything more than 154cm. I personally don't feel I need a higher quality steel, but it's possible I would change my mind if I tried a better steel. I have a Benchmade 707 Sequel that I bought a little over a month ago, I have carried it every day, and the edge is still very sharp. I don't think it has really dulled yet. It is the factory grind and it has really impressed me so far. It still easily shaves, and will push cut news paper. Using this knife daily for cutting mostly paper and plastic packages and other typical every day tasks, it's looking like I might get a good three or four months of use before it needs sharpened, maybe more. The 707 Sequel might be a knife you would consider, it is 154cm, has aluminum scales, and the axis lock. The 707 is smaller than the two knives you mentioned in you original post, but figured you might like it.
 
The only way 154 would be finer is if the only things equal are the abrasive type and number of sharpening strokes. The only thing keeping M-4 from being as sharp would be stopping before it is fully sharpened. It has a lower carbide volume than the 154 steels, and smaller carbides than 154CM.
 
Brad9660 said:
For typical edc uses, I doubt you really need anything more than 154cm. I personally don't feel I need a higher quality steel, but it's possible I would change my mind if I tried a better steel. I have a Benchmade 707 Sequel that I bought a little over a month ago, I have carried it every day, and the edge is still very sharp. I don't think it has really dulled yet. It is the factory grind and it has really impressed me so far. It still easily shaves, and will push cut news paper. Using this knife daily for cutting mostly paper and plastic packages and other typical every day tasks, it's looking like I might get a good three or four months of use before it needs sharpened, maybe more. The 707 Sequel might be a knife you would consider, it is 154cm, has aluminum scales, and the axis lock. The 707 is smaller than the two knives you mentioned in you original post, but figured you might like it.
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Thanks , i'll take a look on it
 
I'd take the M4.......Oh wait :p
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154 CM is a great steel that is easy to sharpen and takes a nice edge. Unless you are looking to beat the snot out of your knife, I'd do 154CM.
 
Just thought I would update that since I posted last time I used my knife to whittle a little on a piece of would and that seems to have finally dulled the edge just a little. It is still very sharp, but it is no longer push cutting news paper like going through butter. This factory edge might not last as long as I thought, but it is still doing well.
 
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